1. Genre: Psychological Thrillers
2. Genre conventions – content: A psychological thriller is a sub-genre of thrillers, which integrates drama, mystery, and, of course, horror genre elements. Usually, in these films, the main character must battle with internal conflict, battling his or her own mind. Psychological thrillers tend to feature the main character as someone that becomes increasingly unstable as the movie's plot progresses. The main character struggles with issues such as identity and what's really real and what's not. The mind games intensify and increase in frequency until the main character either breaks through and comes out on top, or is consumed by it, leading to his, or her, demise.
3. Genre conventions – production techniques:
Psychological thrillers utilize a wide array of production techniques to achieve the desired look and feel to the film. Low level lighting creates shadows to generate feelings of suspense and sadness. Quick edits enhance the feeling of shock and with the suspense continuously present. The non-diegetic sounds create an eerie feeling of suspense. Diegetic sounds offer crucial dialog. Flashbacks are utilized to give context as to why the characters are the way they are. Dark neutral monochromatic colors are utilized. Finally, close-up shots are used to show the characters reaction and emotion, which are absolutely essential for this genre.
4. Film/magazine sample #1: Shutter Island
The film “Shutter Island,” directed by Martin Scorsese, is a prime example of a psychological thriller. The film utilizes the usual techniques used for the sub-genre which draws from the genres action, mystery, drama, and, of course, thriller. For example, in “Shutter Island,” low-level lighting, with its many shadows, is heavily used throughout, creating a feeling of sadness and mystery. The non-diegetic sounds heard through the film makes the viewer feel a part of the madness, matching the rising thrill and increasing tension. Camera
In terms of content, the protagonist, Teddy Daniels, struggles with internal conflict. As he digs deeper into the traumatizing case of his wife’s murder, his mental state is revealed to be deteriorating. This becomes more and more apparent as the film progresses, but he fights it and pushes forward until it is revealed in the end that he was really fighting himself and his repressed memory of the death of his wife.
5. Film/magazine sample #2: Fight Club
Psychological thrillers focus on the theme of identity, and in “Fight Club,” directed by David Fincher, the main character starts off as unhappy and unsure of what his meaning in life is and by the end of the film he develops into his true identity. The low-key lighting in this film adds to the gloomy atmosphere that the main character views the world in. This film utilizes diegetic sounds of internal dialog by the main character to provide necessary context, and this also reinforces the psychological thriller genre convention of internal conflict since most of the dialog is the main character talking to himself. Close-ups are used to show the characters’ facial expressions, which reveal how they feel when reacting to what is happening or to what was said. In “Fight Club,” the main character’s facial expressions are important to pay attention to as his emotions shift throughout the movie as he struggles with his mind’s issues induced by his insomnia, which he only gets relief from and sleep by crying or fighting.
6. List of 5-7 other film/magazine examples within the genre:
Inception
Butterfly Effect
Donnie Darko
Jacob's Ladder
The Shining
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